1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method causing an electronic image obtained by an electronic image forming apparatus to be supported by a transfer sheet and performing transfer printing on a surface of a fabric such as T-shirt or the like, and the transfer sheet.
2. Background Art
In recent years, a tendency of individualization of products has been specifically spreading, and wide-varieties and small-lot production of products has been inevitable. However, since the production cost is limited, how to manufacture a pattern, design and the like to be formed simply on a surface of a fabric such as a T-shirt at low cost is a major challenge. Therefore, graphics or a pattern of one's choice may be printed on the fabric surface by using an electronic image forming apparatus as a printing method configured to satisfy such a demand, reflecting a predetermined image on a thermal transfer sheet by this apparatus, placing the thermal transfer sheet on the fabric surface, and applying a pressure at a high temperature.
Incidentally, there are various printing methods of this type in the related art. For example, “A PRINTING METHOD OF AN ELECTRONIC IMAGE AND A THERMAL TRANSFER SHEET” disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3182640 includes steps of: using two sheets: a sheet A composed of a substrate layer, a release layer, a polyvinyl acetate layer (PVA layer) or a polyester resin layer, and a sheet B composed of a substrate layer, a release layer, an adhesive layer, and a color layer; making a photocopy on a surface of either one of the sheets and forming a predetermined pattern or characters by a toner layer; stacking the both sheets one on top of another with the toner layer interposed therebetween and heating and pressing the same at a predetermined temperature; then, separating the both sheets off from each other to form the color layer and the adhesive layer of the separated sheet B on the toner layer of the sheet A; sticking the sheet A to a product such as the T-shirt and separating the substrate layer together with the release layer from the product; heating and pressing further at a predetermined temperature; and then separating and removing the polyvinyl acetate layer (PVA layer) or the polyester resin layer on the surface thereof from the product.
In other words, using the PVA layer as a medium, the medium is separated from the thermal transfer sheet substrate layer when performing transfer printing on the fabric, the medium carrying the electronic image is placed on the fabric and is pressed by heat, then the medium is separated, whereby the transfer printing of the electronic image is terminated. Therefore, the steps of separating needs to be performed twice after the transfer sheet is formed, and the toner layer of the printed electronic image is situated on the surface, so that physical property against rubbing or the like is rather inferior, and a lot of time and troubles are required.
“A METHOD OF PRINTING AN ELECTRONIC IMAGE” disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3561775 is a method of printing characters and graphics or a pattern of white or milky white color on the surface of a color fabric such as black.
A negative photocopy of the characters, graphics, or the pattern is made on a copy sheet, the negative photocopy is superimposed on a sheet B having a release layer, an adhesive layer, and a milky white layer layered on a substrate layer and pressurized for a predetermined time under a high temperature and a high pressure. Then, by pealing the copy sheet off, the milky white layer and the adhesive layer separated from the release layer is adhered to toner and parts of the milky white layer and the adhesive layer on the side of the sheet B are removed, so that the remaining milky white layer and the adhesive layer form the characters or the graphics to be printed. Then a sheet A having a release layer and a resin layer layered on a substrate layer is superimposed on the sheet B and is pressurized for a predetermined time under a high temperature and a high pressure. Subsequently, by separating the sheet A off, the milky white layer and the adhesive layer separated from the sheet B are adhered to the surface of the resin layer on the sheet A. The sheet A is placed on a predetermined fabric surface and is pressurized for a predetermine time under the high temperature and the high pressure in the same manner, and then the sheet A is separated. Consequently, characters, graphics, or a pattern in milky white color or a white color may be printed on the fabric surface.
In other words, a positive image white adhesive material sheet as the sheet B is obtained by drawing a negative image on a normal sheet with black toner, superimposing a white adhesive material sheet as the sheet B thereon, thermally pressing the sheets, separating the sheets away from each other while the sheets are hot so that an unnecessary portion of a white adhesive material on the white adhesive material sheet as the sheet B is adhered to the black toner on the normal sheet and thus removed and only a necessary positive image remains and drawn on the white adhesive material sheet as the sheet B.
Subsequently, a transfer sheet is prepared by mirror-printing a pictorial pattern of an electronic image on the other transfer sheet A, superimposing the sheet A on the positive image white adhesive material sheet as the sheet B and thermally pressing the sheets, separating the sheet B from the sheet A, and transferring the white adhesive material layer as the positive image on the sheet B onto the pictorial pattern on the sheet A. Since the process of preparing the transfer sheet requires two times of thermal press process and aligning of the pictorial pattern on the sheet A and the positive image on the sheet B, a lot of time and troubles are required.